Wicknell Chivayo’s lavish lifestyle: Luxury cars, private jets and designer fashion - IOL

From birkini bag's, Hermes blankets to private jets Wicknell Chivayo lived a lavish lifestyle.

Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, popularly known as “Sir Wicknell”, became one of the region’s most recognisable high-profile personalities not only for his business interests and philanthropy, but also for the extravagant lifestyle he regularly showcased on social media.

From his collection of luxury vehicles to private-jet travel, designer fashion and lavish celebrations, Chivayo made no secret of his taste for the finer things in life.

Cars were arguably the most visible symbol of Chivayo’s wealth.

Over the years, he has been photographed with an impressive collection of high-end vehicles, including Rolls-Royce models, Mercedes-Benz Maybachs, a Mercedes-AMG G63 Brabus and a Bentley Bentayga.

In 2024, he showed off a Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680, with The South African reporting its price at around R6 million at the time. His collection has also included a Rolls-Royce Spectre, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Rolls-Royce Ghost and Rolls-Royce Phantom. 

More recently, footage shared from his Harare estate showed several luxury vehicles parked at his property, including Rolls-Royce models, a Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus SUVs. 

Chivayo became well known for gifting expensive vehicles to musicians, sports personalities, church figures, and other members of the public. In one high-profile example, musician Jah Prayzah received a 2025 Range Rover Autobiography, alongside a reported US$150,000 cash gift. 

The spectacle of the giveaways became part of his public persona, with many of the vehicles presented with oversized bows and balloons.

Chivayo’s lifestyle was not restricted to the road.

He also regularly showcased his private-jet lifestyle, travelling between African cities and international destinations.

In 2025, the BBC reported that Chivayo had been posting about a new private jet, while it was previously reported that he had described his aircraft as costing approximately US$12 million.

His social media posts offered followers glimpses of a jet-set lifestyle that included trips to Dubai, New York, Paris and London, alongside business travel to destinations including Johannesburg, Shanghai and New Delhi. 

For Chivayo, the private jet was seemingly as much a part of the lifestyle statement as the cars parked outside his home.

Luxury fashion also featured prominently in Chivayo’s online persona.

One of his long-running social-media jokes involved his extensive shoe collection.

In a post reported by The Times, Chivayo joked about the difficulty of choosing between his Louis Vuitton and Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, captioning a photograph of his collection: “Damn, being rich is a headache at times.”

His fashion choices often complemented the rest of his carefully curated luxury image, from designer footwear and statement clothing to expensive watches and accessories.

Rather than quietly enjoying his wealth, Chivayo frequently documented it for his social-media followers.

His extravagant approach was also evident in his major life celebrations.

In 2025, his lobola ceremony with Lucy Muteke reportedly became one of Zimbabwe’s most talked-about social events. Media reports estimated around US$300,000, more than R5 million at the time, although Chivayo disputed some of the figures circulating in the media.

The event featured high-profile entertainment, luxury vehicles and an elaborate display of wealth.

Chivayo amassed his wealth primarily through lucrative, high-value Intratrek Zimbabwe government tenders, political connections, and diverse business ventures spanning energy, construction, and logistics.